Don't Tie Me Down
by GreyKittyKitty
Summary: With Korra's bending gone and Moka only earning a policeman's wage, the pair are going through some financial and romantic trouble. But Korra has an idea to get things heating up again. Will Mako go for it? Does he have a choice? AU Season 1 Before Finale
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: Hi everyone, I'm Kitty! This is my first _erotic_ fic, so bear with me! There will be juicy, juicy bondage-y lemons in the coming chapters. R&R if you've got the time!

~Kitty

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**Don't Tie Me Down**

_Chapter 1- Like a Fire Ferret in a Cage_

"I'm home!" Mako shouted to the dark empty room as he flung his coat over the couch and flicked his keys to the table. He sat heavily, sighed and clumped his work boots onto the floor one by one.

"So I'm assuming you're not home, again?" he said conversationally, his voice echoing through the tiny studio apartment. He shuffled his socked feet, pacing the kitchenette, as he warmed the kettle with his hands and firebending.

"That's okay, I know you promised to be home for dinner tonight. I know you're busy, so am I. Call me selfish, but it would be nice if I could talk to _you_ instead of our empty apartment!" He banged the kettle onto the counter and yanked a teacup out of its cupboard, slamming the door. He sagged, elbows on the counter, hands on his face.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. I'll go to bed and hopefully see you in the morning." His tea in hand, he quietly sat on the edge of the bed fighting to keep calm. He sipped slowly, simmering anger keeping the cup warm as he sifted through his feelings. He sighed again and placed the now empty cup on the floorboards next to the bed, his feet sliding down after it. Exhausted from his bottled up words for his girlfriend, his shirt fell to the floor and he lay back onto the bed. The light from the factory next door shone through the blinds of the only window in the sparsely furnished room. He looked at the dust motes floating through the bars of sunset light and felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. He was just a low grade police officer, and Korra's bending was still MIA. This tiny apartment was all they could afford together- turns out the Avatar doesn't really have an allowance from any particular area after offending the White Lotus, so she was doing odd jobs to make ends meet.

"Still, you promised to be home..." he murmured, eyes closing. He thought he felt a warm weight on the bed as he slowly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2- You're not going to like it (You're going to love it)_

Korra's limbs were shaking, her muscles taut like the surface of an overfull glass. She took the stairs to her apartment two at a time. She stopped in front of her apartment as she impatiently fiddled for her keys. She took three tries to get her key into the lock, body humming. The latch clicked and she strode into the room. The morning light was shining through the open window, and a bleary eyed Mako was mechanically shovelling baozi into his mouth. He slowly looked up at her, warily judging her mood. She stood silhouetted in the doorway and he shivered visibly, a slow smile gathering at the corners of his mouth.

"Mako," she whispered as she rushed over opposite him, "I missed you."

"Korra, I missed you too. But I wanted to talk about..."

She interrupted him with her lips on his, fast hurried kisses across the counter. She eased his mouth open and ran her tongue around the inside of his. He sighed into her as she tousled his thick dark hair. He pulled away, his fingers gliding down her arm until he held one of her hands. She licked a crumb off his face, her tongue working down his neck.

"It's nice to see you too."

She shoved his breakfast off the side of the counter. His plate broke with a crash. The sudden movement and sound startled him. He looked up as she leapt on to the counter, her legs on either side of him, looking down into his face. He just had time to notice the quickness of her breathing before she wrapped her legs around his chest and sealed her lips over his again. She cupped the back of his head as she angled her mouth to get better access. Walking her hand down his still naked back, she alternated between tracing patterns on his shoulder and digging her fingernails in. He cupped her butt and pulled her onto his lap, running his hands under her thighs. She tasted sweet, like a dangerous narcotic. He could feel the goosebumps along her legs, the muscles beneath her coppery skin tense. He let his hands trace the backs of her knees and she jerked involuntarily, panting. He took a moment to breathe and fluttered kisses along her collarbones.

"Where's this energy coming from?" He whispered onto her skin. She stuttered slightly, digging her fingernails in harder than intended, drawing blood. He winced out of reflex but felt strangely elated.

"I just had a run in with a pack of Equalists. I spent all night hiding in a warehouse as they electrocuted sections of it in a grid pattern to find me. I'm running on adrenaline."

Mako paused, and look up into her face. She avoided his eyes.

"Korra, why were you going after Equalists alone?"

"The bounty is bigger if I don't split it." She mumbled, looking fixedly at the wall. He sighed and pushed her off his lap.

"We've talked about this. I like you a lot more than I like money."

"I don't want you to be the sole breadwinner. I'm the Avatar! If I can't even support my boyfriend, how am I supposed to support Republic City through it's changes?"

"I'm not your pet, you know. I am capable of looking after myself- I looked after Bolin too for most of our childhood!"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but," She paused. She looked down at her hands, hoping he couldn't see the glimmers in the corners of eyes. "After Amon took my bending, I felt useless. I just want to feel in control of something for once."

She sat heavily at his feet, face in her hands.

"I didn't know you felt that way. But I want to see you more often. You always seem to be running out the door, I never get to spend quality time with you." He stroked her hair, gold eyes smiling sadly. Korra's brain began to run between words; _control, quality time, "I like you a lot more than money"..._

She started thinking. _I need me and Mako to work. I need to show him that I do care. I need to show him that I just want to keep him safe and happy. I want to protect him. I want him to look up to me._

"Mako."

"Yes?"

"I have a proposition for you."

He shivered again at the tone in her voice.

"Why do I feel like I won't like what you're about to say?"

"You're going to like it _very, very _much."


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3- It's about to get messy_

Mako walked into the power generator factory, head down, bags under his eyes. The faint light struggling through the blackened windows was the colour of weak tea, and he thanked the spirits. With as little sleep as he'd had the night before, he felt like he'd been dragged through the furnace and back. He set up at his work station, placing the box of leftovers Korra had magnanimously packed him that morning. He started to blush thinking about her standing naked in the kitchen , winking over her shoulder at him as she got ready.

"Had a rough night, eh Mako?" his coworker Liu laughed as he caught sight of Mako.

"I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through the day, honestly." Mako rubbed his hand over his face and took a swig of tea from his thermos.

"Your girl keeping you up all night? Bet she's a firecat in bed!"

"Well yeah, she's.." He stopped and blushed more furiously. Liu's eyes widened, then he laughed, loudly enough for the rest of the station workers to crowd around. They loudly Mako what the deal was as he fervently wished to sink through the floor and never be seen again.

"Hey Mako, who is your girlfriend? Show us a picture!"

"Yeah, you've seen my wife and kids a thousand times!"

"Yeah kid, who's this fiery lady?"

Mako closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"She's a... really nice girl from the Northern Water Tribe..." he started tentatively.

"Oooh is she a bender?"

"Yeah! Is she really _cool_?"

"Well from Mako's state this morning we can all guess she's not _frigid_!"

They all laughed raucously, slapping each others backs. Mako could feel a headache coming on.

"All of you, get to work already!" The foreman shouted as he marched up to the noisy group. The firebenders dispersed sheepishly. Mako let out a long breath in relief. The foreman continued up to him, concern on his face.

"Hey kid, you feeling up to it today?"

"Thanks Mr. Zhang. I just missed a little sleep last night. Can I ask to change my roster so I don't work Mondays? I'll put in overtime on Wednesdays."

"Alright, no problem if you make it up later. Make sure you get enough sleep tomorrow. I don't want workers who are too tired to do their work well and safely." He squeezed Mako's shoulder and continued on his rounds. Mako had a nagging feeling that he wouldn't be getting that extra sleep.

Author's note: Thanks for sticking with it! The lemon is coming... \(סּںסּَ` )/ۜ


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